The First Step Is Admitting You Have a Problem

Posted on Jan 10, 2007

Researchers from Dublin City University already believed that drug use was on the rise in Ireland, but they were surprised when their study indicated that 100 percent of Ireland’s banknotes bear traces of cocaine.

BBC:

One hundred percent of banknotes in the Republic of Ireland carry traces of cocaine, a new study has found.

Researchers used the latest forensic techniques that would detect even the tiniest fragments to study a batch of 45 used banknotes.

The scientists at Dublin’s City University said they were “surprised by their findings”.

Some of the notes had such high levels of cocaine on them that it is thought they were used to snort the drug.

Others had much lower traces and may have been cross-contaminated, perhaps in the wallets or pockets of users.